Apartment Lastovo

To get to Lastovo, you need time and a ferry ticket – or a sailing boat. The island belongs to Croatia, but lies so far out in the Adriatic that you don’t really happen upon it by chance. Until 1988, Lastovo was a rest­ricted military zone – which was good for nature: the island and the sur­rounding sea are now one of the most unspoilt land­scapes in the Adriatic. Clear water, dense pine forests – and at night an impressive starry sky, because the lights of the nearest major town seem end­lessly far away.

The village, which shares the same name as the island, lies a little way inland up the hillside. Running through its centre is a steep, stepped alleyway called Počuvalo. The name comes from the Croatian ‘počuvati’ – to pause. And indeed: at this point, the climb slows down, the road widens, and you stop, perhaps to have a chat. Right here stands a house that, somewhat fit­tingly, has been a meeting place for cen­turies: before the war, when Lastovo belonged to Italy, people would gather at the cul­tural centre to dance; later, the locals cele­brated the famous Lastovo Car­nival here. At some point, however, the house fell silent, the doors remained shut, and the building fell into dis­repair.

And then came Jurek Brüggen – an architect with a pen­chant for remote places. Jurek had known Lastovo for some time, having dis­co­vered it as a teenager with his family whilst sailing past. This fondness for the place turned into a project. The old stone walls were left as they were – irre­gular, shaped by time. Inside, a new structure was installed to sta­bilise the existing building. The altera­tions are deli­berately not intended as a replica of the old, but as a tan­gible yet con­siderate con­trast to it. The result is seven studios: four smaller ones, each accom­mo­dating up to two people, two of which can be com­bined, and three larger ones for four to six people. Each has its own bathroom and fully equipped kitchen – and its own ent­rance directly from the alleyway. When the house is booked in its entirety, it can accom­modate up to 22 people.

And then there are two rooms that hark back to the time when this place was a meeting point for the Lastovo village com­munity: on the ground floor is a small lounge with a bar and a farm shop. And on the roof, a terrace over­looking the valley. This is where history, just like nature, comes into its own: the house con­tinues to see itself as a com­munal living room, now for the neigh­bourhood and guests alike. How about admiring the Milky Way tog­ether, over a glass of wine from the island’s vineyards?

What to do

Lastovo makes it easy to switch off: you can go for walks, have a dip, go for a swim and go diving. Or simply read lots of books again. You can also go hiking or do a bit of cycling – the island is big enough for that. There are an impressive number of churches to visit. Boat trips to smaller islands can also be booked. Or you can go on a wine-tasting tour of the island’s vineyards.

Why we like this house

It is a place that truly stirs the imagination, because it offers the chance to escape the daily grind and find yourself in the heart of an unspoilt Croatian village on an island in the Mediterranean.

This house is great for

For anyone who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of Mediterranean tourism – without missing out on the Mediterranean. Dogs are very welcome in Studios One, Two and Six.

Sustainability

The house is very easy to reach by public transport, and you don’t really need a car on the island anyway. From southern Germany, you can easily take the train to Split or Dubrovnik, and from there you can continue by ferry. There are shops in the village. The renovation was carried out with a focus on sufficiency.

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with a white background, the accommodation is still fully available. If an accommodation has more than one rentable unit, days with free capacities are shown with a light grey background. On days with a dark grey background, the accommodation is not available.

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